In the Love Life of a Ninja
by Chrome69-96
Summary: A colection of one-shots involving relationships of our favourite shinobi! Contains het, yaoi, and if wished, yuri. Suggestions for future chapters are much needed and very welcome!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **Heya, everyone~ So this is my very first try at Naruto fanfiction, I hope I did a decent job _ This is a collection of one-shots with my favourite pairings (mostly shounen-ai/yaoi, so if you don't like it I would understand) and also some bordering-on-crack pairings. There will be het pairings, like NaruHina, NaruSaku, NejiSaku, etc.

**First up: Kotetsu/Izumo** (my fav minor character pairing XD) Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 1

The millionth sigh resonated through the open air around the main gates of Konoha, spawned from the direction of the gatekeeper's post.

Izumo's eye twitched along with the sigh that had been released right beside him. It had started to grate on his nerves after merely the fifth one and by now he was a hairs breadth of a sigh away from snapping at his companion. Said companion, Kotetsu, glanced at the brunet from the corner of his eye while fighting back a mischievous little smirk.

Then it happened.

The silence exploded into an almost demonic chaos as Izumo went off like the ticking time bomb he was. "Kotetsu! Would you just keep it in till the end of our shift, for god's sake!" he yelled, jumping up from his chair to loom over the slightly startled shinobi.

"Geez, Izumo, calm down would you? I can't help it when it's so boring out here," Kotetsu said, trying to calm the fuming brunet a little. However, he only made it worse.

Within a second, a bump was forming on the spikey haired ninja's head from where his partner had whacked him. "Don't tell me to calm down when this was clearly what you wanted – what are you, some kind of masochist? And don't you dare call this job boring. If Tsunade-sama hears you, your head will be decorating that gate! This is an honourable and important job, understood?"

Kotetsu sweat dropped at the other's enthusiasm as Izumo plopped down in his chair, arms crossed defiantly and nose turned up in the opposite direction. It was always fun and easy to anger the other, but sometimes – most of the times – he just took it too seriously.

Silence fell over them once more and Kotetsu pursed his lips while his eyes drifted in search of something to do. There was nothing except the large wooden gates and a few trees scattered about. Nothing but an empty dust road leading further into town and out the gates in the opposite direction. His hands grasped at his hair and pulled at it, giving a low growl of annoyance. "I'm going to go mad! Aren't there any games or something to play? Anything is better than this! Except shogi – I hate that game; I never win."

"Yeah, because you've only played once. Against Shikamaru. You can't expect to win that in a million years even if you managed to see the future and his next move," Izumo smirked, ignoring the other's pout/glare that was boring into his head. "But to answer your question, there's one game I would _love _to play with you…"

"Really? What is it?" Kotetsu inquired eagerly, almost desperately, leaning towards his partner in anticipation, eyes wide and sparkling.

"Yes, it's called…" the brunet trailed off, leaning in as well until their faces were mere inches apart. "The silent game." Izumo's hand came up and he slapped Kotetsu's forehead so hard that the shinobi toppled backwards out of his chair, landing on his back with his legs in the air. Izumo smirked in satisfaction as he sat back in his chair with an amused smirk.

"Itai! What the hell was that for!" the black haired man exclaimed as he sat up and rubbed at his slightly red forehead. He then pouted and huffed in exasperation, giving up on getting a positive reaction out of the other. "Stingy," he muttered as he looked away from the other.

Silence reigned heavily for ten minutes before Izumo subtly glanced towards his left to see that Kotetsu was still in the position he had been ten minutes ago – sitting cross-legged on the floor, his back turned towards his partner and his arms crossed over his chest. The brunet felt a twinge of guilt bubble up in his chest as he frowned at his friend's back. Maybe he shouldn't have been so tough on the poor guy; Kotetsu could be very sensitive sometimes. He knew that the black haired man wouldn't stay mad at him for very long – it'll be over in a minute or so – since they had been friends ever since they were in the academy together.

A minute passed and then another and another, until fifteen minutes had gone by without a word. Izumo glanced to his left once more only to find the same as he did the first time he looked. Kotetsu hadn't moved an inch. He was starting to worry right about now. He didn't think the other could stop complaining for almost half an hour, especially while they were on duty. Maybe he'd fallen asleep or something…

Izumo couldn't take it anymore and he turned his full attention to the other. "Oi, Kotetsu? Are you sleeping?" There was no answer and the brunet narrowed his eyes as he stood up to take a step closer to the unmoving shinobi. He reached out a hand and grabbed the other's shoulder to spin him around. "Hey, I'm–"

"I won!" Kotetsu exclaimed victoriously as he was spun around, a crazy grin on his bandaged face.

"Eh?" the brown haired shinobi blinked in confusion.

"The silent game – I won! You spoke first!" he clarified, still grinning.

"Eeeeh?! Why you-! It's all your fault!" Izumo snapped and red flames were nearly visible in his furious eyes.

"What? How's it my fault!" Kotetsu yelled back, getting to his feet to come face to face with the growling shinobi, his grin replaced by a stubborn set of his jaw as he gritted his teeth.

"You didn't tell me we were starting the damn game!"

"You were the one who suggested it!"

Sparks flew in the air around the two and they looked ready to attack each other. They were both so caught up in their little skirmish that they didn't notice Sakura approaching them. The pink haired girl came to a standstill right in front of the little stall the gatekeepers resided in and sweat dropped as she saw what was going on. Even from a few feet away she could feel the tension in the air.

"Ano…Izumo-san, Kotetsu-san?" she started hesitantly, trying to get the chuunins' attention. It didn't work. Sakura tried about two more times before her eye started to twitch and her fists clenched so hard they started to shake. Then she snapped and hit the wooden surface in front of her, making it snap in half like a twig. "Oi! Don't ignore me when I'm talking to you!" she roared, feeling as though she was faced with two Narutos. Kami help her, one was enough.

The two men jumped away from the ruined table, their eyes wide and bodies shaking and they tumbled to the ground in fear. When they saw who it was, their fear didn't lessen by much – they had thought it was the Hokage herself that had come to whack them into the ground like a Whack-a-Mole. They were glad never to have been on the receiving end of either of the two women's punches. Yet. "S-Sakura! Sorry, we didn't see you there," Kotetsu stuttered with a nervous laugh as he scratched at the back of his head.

"Geez, are there any men in this village that _don't _act like little kids?" she muttered, crossing her arms as she stared down at the two sprawled on the ground. "Anyway, the reason I came here was to tell you that Tsunade-sama wants to see you in her office right away."

"She wants to see us? I wonder why… probably to give us some more goph–"

"Shut up, Kotetsu!" Izumo exclaimed, slapping a hand over the other's mouth just as he was about to say 'gopher assignments'. "I told you not to say that, didn't I?"

The bandaged shinobi slapped the hand away from his mouth and mumbled, "Yeah, yeah. Let's just go then, before we get punched. Or kicked. Or thrown. Or–"

"Tetsu!" Izumo warned for the second time, a murderous glint in his eyes. In his peripheral he saw Sakura had a challenging brow raised, her fist at the ready to bonk them on the head should they say something else.

"Geez, what's with everyone today…" Kotetsu pushed himself to his feet and held out a hand to Izumo to pull him upright. They dusted themselves off before gesturing for an irritated Sakura to lead the way. The spikey haired man shoved his hands in his pockets as they walked and he looked around to watch the children run around and the parents either standing around chatting or watching their kids with small smiles on their faces.

Izumo glanced over at his partner and followed his gaze to see what was distracting the man so. A soft smile made its way onto his lips as he watched Kotetsu stare at a father with his son on his shoulders walking down the street, the boy giggling and the father chuckling along. He walked a little closer to the other so he could whisper without Sakura or anyone else hearing. "Aren't you still a little young to be worrying about that?" he teased, making his lover jump at the sudden words.

"E-eh?" Kotetsu stuttered slightly, a faint red seeping into his cheeks as he looked away from Izumo to hide it. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Izumo would've rolled his eyes or whacked the other upside the head if he hadn't been so cute with that look on his face. He smirked and came even closer until their arms were lightly brushing against each other as they walked. He felt Kotetsu shiver slightly at the contact and he leaned in to breathe in his ear, "You better wipe that look off your face if you don't want to get attacked in an alley."

"Attacked? By whom?" the other asked confusedly, still a little too embarrassed to realize that it was pretty obvious.

The slightly older brunet's smirk grew and he answered in a low voice, "By me."

Kotetsu stiffened and stopped in his tracks, Izumo following shortly after. It took Sakura a few seconds to realize they weren't following her anymore. She turned around with a frown and asked, "What's wrong?"

"Yes, what's wrong, Kotetsu?" the other teased, his back to the pink haired girl so she couldn't see the glint in his eye.

"I…uh. I don't feel so well," the black haired shinobi answered, his cheeks having darkened. He muttered something about a bathroom before disappearing down a side street.

Silence followed as the remaining two simply stared after him – Sakura in confusion and concern, and Izumo in mischievous curiosity. His expression changed to that of concern and apology as he turned to the Medical Nin and said, "Maybe I should go check on him and make sure he's alright. Please tell Tsunade-sama we'll be there in a few minutes."

Sakura could only nod before the brunet was off, trying to catch up to his partner. She sighed and shook her head. Those weren't any symptoms of a sickness that she knew of and her hearing wasn't as bad as they seemed to have thought. It wasn't hard to guess what they would be up to and she shivered at the mental image that popped up in her head. They were really going to get it from the Hokage. She just hoped Tsunade-sama didn't take it out on her instead…

Meanwhile, Izumo was mere feet behind his lover as they moved lithely through multiple streets. When they were sure they were in a remotely secluded alleyway, Kotetsu found himself pressed up against a wall, his face bright red as his lips were assaulted. Izumo's mouth was warm on his and he revelled in the softness of the other man's lips. The seme pulled back only far enough to speak, his lips still brushing his flushed uke's.

"You're going to get us in trouble with Lady Tsunade again, Tetsu," he accused lightly, his hand coming up to trace the edges of the bandage across the man's face. Not even he knew what was being kept secret beneath that thing and he wasn't about to just rip it off no matter how many chances he had had in the past and at that moment. He would never disrespect his lover's privacy like that.

"Who's the one that started this?" Kotetsu retorted, feeling a warm tingle on his cheek where the fingers touched, making the skin around his bandage itch. His own hand reached up and pushed the hair out of Izumo's face so he could get a good look at both eyes.

Izumo suddenly felt very exposed and he slapped the hand away lightly, a small blush rising to his cheeks. "Stop that! Why do you always feel the need to do that?" he inquired, honestly curious about the man's answer.

Kotetsu couldn't help but smile as he answered honestly, "Because I want to see your handsome face every time we're together like this. Is that a crime?"

The blush intensified and Izumo stepped away from his lover to turn his face away. "No…but it's unfair. You can see my face, but I'm not allowed to see yours," was the slightly sulky reply that was given. Kotetsu wanted to jump him right then and there when that cute pouting voice reached his ears.

The black haired chuunin stepped forward to wrap his arms around the other, their roles seeming to switch at that moment. He pulled him close in a loving, warm embrace and Izumo allowed it, for now. Kotetsu kissed the top of his head and said, "Who ever said you weren't allowed? You could just ask me to show you, you know."

Izumo stiffened slightly as he looked up in surprise, noticing the amused smirk on his lover's face. "What? Really? But I thought…"

"There's nothing I'll hide from you if you just asked, Izumo," Kotetsu said, cutting the brunet off.

Said brunet smiled and his eyes seemed to sparkle as he stared at Kotetsu's face. "Then, will you show me what's under that bandage? Please?"

The spikey haired shinobi chuckled and removed his arms from around Izumo's waist. He reached up and hooked his fingers underneath the bandage. "Here goes nothing…" he muttered and started lifting it away from his face. Izumo's eyes were wide as he followed the oh-so-slow movement, nearly vibrating in anticipation of what he was about to see. Almost, almost…!

A loud, thundering _BOOM!_ Was heard throughout the village and all heads snapped towards the biggest building in town. The very angry, almost demonic voice of the Hokage could be heard for miles as she roared, "Izumo! Kotetsu! Where the hell are you; you have an important mission!"

This made the two wanted men go pale in the face, sweat starting to run down their faces as they began to fear for their life. Kotetsu lowered his hands, snapping the bandage back in place and gave Izumo a nervous grin. "I guess this'll have to wait for later?"

Nodding quickly, the brunet set off in the direction the demon known as the Fifth Hokage's voice had come from. They were probably _so _dead it wasn't even funny. Looking back on their conversation made them realize that they were now in life threatening danger for something almost completely pointless. Almost. The two men glanced at each other, briefly holding hands until they were within view of the rest of the village where everyone was pitying them most likely.

They didn't care as long as they died together by the Hokage's hand. 'Almost' was good enough for now.

**A/N: **And that's the first chapter – I hope it was at least bearable haha *hides under bed* For this fic I will take requests from you lovely readers. I have only written like five chapters so I hope you all will give me some ideas and scenarios I could use =D Just tell me in a review or PM me about your idea/request and I'll see what I can do! Het, yaoi and even yuri pairings are welcome.

Thanks for reading, please review!


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Thank you sooo much for the _awesome_ reviews! You guys don't know how happy they made me – I was literally bouncing around the house like a bunny on crack haha! \(*o*)/ Thanks for following as well~

**fan: **Thank you for the review and glad you liked it! XD As much as you wanna see them together I want to write them together 3 I'll see if I can put some more Izumo and Kotetsu in later chapters, though I don't want to do anything _too_ explicit…I'll still decide on that detail though haha. Thanks again and hope you enjoy this chapter!

**cloudosaurus: **Thanks for reviewing, it made me so happy (the day before writing a big test at school too) XP I don't mind requests at all; I _need _them hehe. I like Genma and Iruka too~ I'll do my best and hope I can get their characters right _ I'll write it as soon as I have time and try to post it as soon as it's done! (I have a few chapters already written that I will post in the meanwhile) Unfortunately, not all of these chapters will be light hearted and funny – gomen! *bows* but not all will be too serious haha. Hope you enjoy this chapter though3

This chapter we have my other favourite couple: **NejiShika**! XD *happy dance* This chapter is a little more serious than the first but I hope you guys still like it! Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter 2

"Chouji! Can you think about someone other than yourself for once?" Ino yelled from across the table at the boy stuffing his face with barbeque. "Leave some for us too!"

"But Shikamaru said I could have double my share this time since _I _took out that one guy _all by myself_ on our last mission!" the Akimichi countered, emphasizing his words by stuffing two more pieces into his mouth, making the blonde's eye twitch. Before she could say anything, however, Sakura interrupted with a snicker, making Ino's attention snap to her immediately.

"Oh, don't be so stuck-up, Ino-pig. At least he did something, unlike you. I heard you were knocked out after the first ten minutes of battle," the pink haired girl quipped mockingly, smirking when a vein appeared on the blonde's forehead.

"Well, excuse me for using up all my chakra to heal my comrades before going into battle, Forehead Girl!" the Yamanaka fumed, bracing herself on her hands and leaning over the table.

"What did you call me, Pig? Besides, it's not my fault you have so little chakra control!" Sakura retorted and leaped forward until their faces were a mere inch apart.

"That's it, you're going down!" Ino declared and was about to reach forward to grab her friend/rival around the neck when a pair of pale hands grabbed her arms and tried to pull her back to her seat. Poor Sai almost received an elbow in the face for his troubles. Naruto was in charge of restraining Sakura, chuckling nervously as he dodged a fist while trying to calm her down.

Meanwhile, Chouji was happily enjoying his meat while his friends were caught up in an almost full-scale war. However, he paused when a thought crossed his barbeque-addled mind. "By the way…where _is_ Shikamaru?"

The ruckus died down immediately as the shadow-user was mentioned. The atmosphere grew a little sombre and even Chouji had to admit that that was a stupid question. Ino glanced out the door of the barbeque restaurant, her eyes landing on the orange sunset. "Usually he's visiting Asuma-sensei's grave at this time, but I think he said something about taking a walk afterwards too. So we won't be seeing him anytime soon today. Maybe not at all."

The others nodded slowly and went back to their treats in silence, fighting all but forgotten. Chouji frowned as he stared down at the sizzling meat. _Shikamaru… I hope you're alright._

The stream that wound through the trees created a calming and comforting lull for the young Nara, who was currently lying on his back in a small clearing not far from the water source, one leg draped over the other and his arms behind his head as tired, brown eyes stared up at the sky. The clouds he was staring at were illuminated a beautiful orang-pink by the setting sun as they drifted by lazily. He had first settled himself onto a comfortable tree branch, but then realized he couldn't see the clouds as clearly as he had wanted to with all those other branches and leaves looming over him.

The silence was abruptly shattered by a snapping twig off to his left and Shikamaru was on his feet in no time, a kunai at the ready in his right hand. When he saw the source of the noise, however, he relaxed immediately and sat back down on the luscious green grass, kunai slipping back into its sheath around his leg.

"This is quite a surprise," he said quietly as his eyes locked with another pair of calm, brown orbs. He watched as the deer slowly made its way towards him from among the trees until it was right next to him. The Nara reached out his hand and stroked the silky brown nose softly, causing the deer to lean into the touch. Shikamaru smiled at the gesture and answered the unspoken concern he could read in the animal's behaviour. "I'm fine, don't worry about it."

The deer lowered itself onto the grass next to Shikamaru and its head tilted up slightly, as if it was watching the clouds as well. The young shinobi chuckled lightly before following his companion's example and resuming his earlier position. The silence was comfortable and he felt a little less lonely now that there was someone – or some_thing_, depending on how you viewed it – there with him. Having the deer with him was much less troublesome than having actual people there because the animal wasn't nearly as noisy and talkative.

The Nara clan had a special connection, a bond with these gentle creatures. Or to put it a better way, these creatures were an actual part of their clan. It was much easier for him to understand and communicate with them as it was to do with humans, at least in times like these when he felt down or needed to think. The deer would listen, not complain, and give comfort and support when necessary. Most of his friends would do the same, he knew that, but the difference was they would ask questions. Too many questions he didn't want to answer. Even if they didn't ask questions out loud, he could still see them in their eyes. The deer didn't ask questions and for that he was glad.

Shikamaru gave a small sigh to release some of the tension in his body and he felt the animal next to him shift a little. He placed a gently hand on the creature's back, stroking the silky fur absentmindedly as his eyes stayed focused on the sky above. He was starting to feel sleepy and before he knew it his eyes had started to drift shut. No dreams came to him as he slept like they had almost every night since Asuma's death and even a few days before that. It was peaceful.

That is, until he was rudely awakened about an hour later by his animal friend jumping to its feet and taking a defensive stance in front of him. Shikamaru was instantly alert and pushed himself to his feet even though he was still a little sleepy. The moon was already making its way across the sky and the stars were shining brightly, showing no signs of stormy weather like it had a little earlier that day.

"Who's there?" Shikamaru called into the forest, his eyes scanning the trees in the direction the deer was staring. The trees rustled slightly and the shadow user's brain was running at a thousand miles per second, calculating possible attacks and counter attacks. He was just contemplating on manipulating the shadows of the trees where the noise came from before a figure emerged from them and the Nara straightened in surprise.

"Don't worry, it's only me," a calm voice spoke as the person stepped into the clearing and was hit by the moonlight. The figure was dressed in white and had pale skin and eyes to match, with long, mahogany brown hair tied loosely at the bottom and reaching his waist.

"N-Neji?" Shikamaru asked in surprise when the Hyuuga came into full view. He looked around cautiously before putting away his weapon and laying a gentle hand on the deer's back. "It's alright, he's a friend." The animal looked at him as if to ask if he was sure and he nodded in the affirmative. The deer bowed its head slightly before taking off in the opposite direction and disappearing within the darkness of the surrounding forest. Shikamaru turned back to the white eyed boy and inquired, "What are you doing here?"

Neji took a few more steps closer to the chuunin, a small quirk appearing at the corner of his lips. "Lee had spent some time with Naruto today, who had apparently eaten out with the rest of your former squad mates, and had heard that they were all worried about you. Lee, of course, couldn't stop complaining about it and I volunteered to go look for you to shut him up," Neji explained.

Shikamaru nodded slowly, but couldn't help a small smile from spreading across his lips as he thought of all the people who cared for him. "Yeah, that makes sense since your Byakugan would find me easier than anyone else would," he said knowingly.

"Hm, that's only partly true," the other answered as he sat down on the grass, leaving Shikamaru to blink at him in confusion. This caused a smirk to appear on Neji's thin lips and he craned his neck a little to stare up at the confused Nara. "I was one of the concerned ones."

Shikamaru's breath hitched in surprise and he stumbled back a step. "You…" He paused and his eyes narrowed before he huffed and turned his face away from the amused Hyuuga so that he didn't see the faint colouring of Shikamaru's cheeks in the moonlight. "Tsk, I don't need you worrying about me. I can take care of myself, thanks. Troublesome Hyuuga…"

"Yes, I know," was all Neji said and allowed silence to envelope them for a few minutes. In the Hyuuga's opinion it was kind of comfortable, but Shikamaru grew fidgety the longer he stood next to the sitting jounin. It was awkward to say the least and he wasn't going to sit down next to the smug bastard.

Shikamaru sighed and spoke up first. "Well, now that you found me we should probably get back to the village," he said, shoving his hands in his pockets and starting to walk in the direction Neji had come from. However, as he passed the pale boy, his arm was snatched and he lost his balance.

He went down with a surprised yelp and time seemed to slow down as he fell. The Nara was well aware of where he would land and his heart skipped a beat as he neared his destination. If it wasn't awkward before, it sure would be in a few seconds. Time sped up once more as he landed with a small 'oof'. Right in Neji's lap. The other's hand was still on his arm and large, white eyes stared down at him as Shikamaru's body tensed up completely.

"W-what the hell are you doing!?" he exclaimed at the still calm-looking face above him.

"I just wanted to tell you that we could stay here for a little while longer before we have to go back…then you fell over," the Hyuuga said, seemingly unfazed by the situation.

"Wha? You _pulled_ me!" the chuunin growled in disbelief mixed with annoyance. "Geez, let go of me already; I don't want to stay here any longer." He pulled his arm back and stood up from the other boy's lap and was relieved that he let him go so easily. _Neji is acting really weird all of a sudden…_

Neji watched the shadow user slowly walk off, not even looking back to see if he would follow. He didn't intend to follow anyway as he said, "I know how you feel. Concerning Asuma-sensei that is."

The words stopped Shikamaru dead in his tracks and no sound except for the softly blowing breeze could be heard rustling through the trees. His eyes stayed trained on an empty spot in front of his feet while he spoke, without turning around to look at his companion, "How would you know?"

There was more silence while both shinobi were a little lost in their own thoughts and Neji contemplated whether it was the right thing to have said. Should he go on with that train of thought or should he just dismiss it altogether? This was something he'd never really shared with anyone except Naruto and now he had blurted something like that out to this guy. Although, 'this guy' wasn't just any random guy.

"True, I don't know your exact feelings and how deep they go for Asuma, but I do know the feeling of losing someone you held very dear," he explained and saw the other brunet flinch slightly as he remembered exactly what relationship he had had with his former teacher, how much he had admired him and how much he had learnt from him.

"…drop it, Hyuuga. I'm already over it; I've accepted it and that's that. It's all just too damn troublesome to worry about now," Shikamaru stated bluntly, but his fists started to clench in frustration and at the will it took to keep his emotions – sadness, rage, irritation – at bay.

"Just because you've accepted it, Shikamaru, doesn't mean you'll forget everything over the last few years. It doesn't mean that all the emotions will just be buried with him and you'll never think of him again," Neji retorted, standing up and taking a step towards the shaking Nara. He didn't know if he was shaking from tears or anger or perhaps both, but he didn't care. He was willing to get punched if it meant the other would let go of some of that emotion he had been bottling up for so long. A blind person could see the shroud that the bottled up feelings had created over him.

"Shut up," came the restrained, quiet reply, but it did nothing to stop the white eyed boy from continuing.

"Asuma was more than a teacher to you, wasn't he? He was as much a father to you as Shikaku-san is, so it was like losing your own father." As Neji spoke, he felt his own feelings well up inside him. He could easily speak to Shikamaru of this, it seemed, since he knew the other boy wouldn't judge him or anything of the sort because they both would know how the other felt. "Losing your father isn't something you will just accept overnight and move on without ever looking back ever again. It's not that easy, as much as I know you wish it to be. 'Troublesome' is what you would call it, correct?"

"Shut up! Just shut the fuck up already!" Shikamaru finally exploded and spun around, swinging his fist right at the Hyuuga's face. Instinctively, Neji dodged the attack, even though he wouldn't have minded if he had been hit. The Nara was breathing hard as he glared at his companion, teeth gritting, fists clenched and eyes shimmering with furious tears wherein sad ones dwelled. "Stop talking as if you know how I feel about _any _of this! I don't need you acting all high and mighty just because you're a Hyuuga and think you know everything. You talk so much that you probably won't mind telling me then: how exactly would you know how the hell I felt about Asuma!"

"I know because…I _did_ lose my father," Neji spoke up after a short hesitation. A knot formed in his throat as he spoke the words out loud. Like he had just told the chuunin, just because you've come to terms with it didn't mean you felt nothing after a few weeks, months, even years. He saw Shikamaru's eyes widen slightly and the boy straightened up a little, his posture relaxing a bit.

"Neji…" he breathed, all the anger having left his voice when the Hyuuga's words had hit him like a slap in the face. He wasn't sure what to say, but was saved by Neji speaking up once more.

Pale eyes looked off to the side briefly and then up at the moon before landing once more on the stunned brunet in front of him. A small smile tugged at his lips but there was no happiness whatsoever in it. "I think I can be pretty sure about how you feel even though it's not something I can see even with my Byakugan. My father gave his life to protect his brother, my uncle, even though he didn't have to. I grew up hating them for killing my father until I found out what really happened. I came to live with it, but there are still days I wished it could've been my uncle that was rightfully killed. I was hell bent on justice, and even now I still get those thoughts sometimes."

Shikamaru was frozen on the spot, unable to say anything as he listened. He knew Neji lived with his uncle and that he didn't have his father, but he never knew that the young Hyuuga had seen his own father killed for no reason at all.

"I know many think of me as heartless or emotionless, but they're wrong, even if I have to say so myself," Neji added with a rueful smile, something Shikamaru had thought the jounin wouldn't be caught dead with on his face. All the anger left his body completely at that moment and the Nara's legs felt wobbly – he was just so tired. He hadn't slept well the previous night since he had had another nightmare of a certain battle and desperately needed his sleep because of the amount of energy he consumed thinking every day. The nap he took before Neji arrived didn't help at all and only seemed to have made him more tired.

Neji was only a few feet away from Shikamaru and was able to jump forward in time to catch the boy as his weariness took over and he slumped to the ground. Neji lowered them both onto the grass and shifted Shikamaru so that his upper body was cradled in the Hyuuga's lap and arms. Sleepy, teary eyes stared up at him, yet they still seemed fully aware of the current situation, though he didn't complain or tense up this time.

"I'm…sorry. For going off on you like that. I…wasn't thinking," the Nara said carefully, unsure of how to apologize exactly. He was currently being held by Hyuuga Neji and that was supposed to bother him, but...it didn't. It didn't really bother him the first time either, it was merely shock that had made him react like that. In fact, it was kind of comfortable as well as comforting. As he looked up into the pale face above him, the moonlight was blocked and created an almost ethereal glow around the jounin's head. _He's even more beautiful than usual…_

A mocking smile reached Neji's lips as he stared into the teary brown orbs. "That's hard to believe," he said and then the smile faded slightly and a hesitant hand came up to rest on the shadow user's head. "You don't have to keep it in, Shikamaru, at least not in front of me. I…I care about you and I don't want to see you hurting like this."

Shikamaru was taken slightly aback at those words but he felt something warming in his chest. He was _happy _to hear those words. Why? Because he had started feeling…something for Neji ever since that mission they had went on to retrieve Sasuke. The more time they had spent together tracking them down and working on strategies together, the more Shikamaru had been interested in the Hyuuga. Sometimes he even thought Neji was better at almost everything than him since he was already jounin, but Asuma had assured him that was not so and that if Shikamaru would stop finding everything so 'troublesome' he'd have been there a long time ago.

When Neji had stayed behind to fight and giving them a chance to get Sasuke, he had had so much confidence in him. Then, when he was in than operation room when the Nara had merely broken a finger, he thought he was going to lose it. He had been just as worried about Neji as he had been about his best friend, Chouji, if not more. For a long time the feelings towards the Hyuuga had built up and now he was happy – ecstatic almost – to hear that his feelings wouldn't go to waste.

Shikamaru smiled up at the nervous looking jounin as he waited for a reaction. "That's a confession, right?" he inquired and saw Neji's lips purse before he nodded curtly, a small patch of red appearing on the flawless, pale skin. The Nara's hand came up and pinched a strand of brown hair that had fallen free from the low, loose ponytail. White eyes followed the movement of the lazy shinobi's fingers as they let the silky strands slip away. "Glad to hear it, then."

Said white eyes snapped towards the smiling face in utter surprise. Neji's mouth opened and closed and there were a few minutes of silence before he managed to stutter rather uncharacteristically, "Y-you mean…?"

The tears that had been gathering earlier were all but forgotten as brown met white and Shikamaru nodded slowly while chewing on his lip, rather embarrassed by what he had said and admitted. "Yeah, well…" once again he was at a loss for words, but also like before, Neji saved him. However, it was not with words this time, but with his actions.

Brown orbs widened as he felt the warm pressure on his lips before he even knew what was happening. Neji had leaned down so quickly that he didn't even have time to blink before the Hyuuga's lips had crashed onto his. The touch was gentle but firm and Shikamaru revelled in the warmth and softness he had thought of more than a few times before. A finger rested beneath his chin to tilt his head back more while a slick, searing hot tongue traced his bottom lip, requesting entrance.

The Nara had no objections as he parted his lips to welcome the curious muscle that immediately slipped inside to explore his mouth. When Neji's tongue slowly dragged over his own, Shikamaru's eyes drifted shut as a small moan worked its way up his throat. The hand that had come up to touch the strand of long, brown hair earlier now rested on the Hyuuga's shoulder and was slowly working its way around his neck to pull him closer.

When air became a necessity, the two shinobi pulled apart, both gasping for breath and both a little dazed by what they had just shared. Shikamaru slowly pushed himself into a sitting position and Neji shifted into a more comfortable one as well, one that allowed him to reach the Nara's mouth a whole lot easier. A small trail of saliva had escaped the shadow user's mouth during their exchange and the Hyuuga couldn't resist leaning in and trailing the tip of his tongue from his newly acquired lover's chin to the corner of his mouth.

Shikamaru felt his cheeks heat up though he didn't do anything to stop the older brunet's ministrations. Neji pulled away once more and smirked smugly at the Nara's red face. "Don't tell me that was your first kiss?" he mocked with a small chuckle when Shikamaru glared at him.

"Of course not!" he snapped, looking away from the smirking bastard he liked so much. His fingers curled in the grass, pulling a few blades free as he muttered under his breath, "But it was the best so far…"

Neji, of course, heard him since it was so quiet in the clearing and there was no sound except for the crickets chirping among the trees and an owl hooting off in the distance. Quirking a challenging brow, the jounin placed his hand under the Nara's chin to pull his face in his direction once more, leaning in until their faces were a mere inch apart. "Then let me give you an even better one," he whispered lustfully and the hot breath washing over his face made Shikamaru shiver and his eyelids grow heavy, his lips quivering in anticipation.

"Oi, Shikamaru, there you–" an all too familiar voice exclaimed as Konoha's only orange clad shinobi burst through the trees. They must've really been caught up in their actions if they didn't even notice _him _coming their way. The sudden noise made both Neji and Shikamaru jump, causing them to bump their heads together rather painfully and both cursed as they jumped to their feet.

Naruto paused as he saw the two jumping to their feet and rubbing their foreheads while glaring at him. "Naruto? What are you doing here?" Shikamaru asked the blond rather grudgingly, for once not really happy to see his good friend.

"We all went out looking for you! Hey, it looks like Neji found you first," the genin grinned. When no one said anything his grin faded and he took a closer look at their flushed faces. "Eh? Why are your faces all red?" Though he might not look it, Naruto could be pretty observant when he chose to be and thus didn't miss the rather embarrassed look passed between the two. Blue eyes widened and the blonde's lips stretched into a suggestive grin as he started snickering uncontrollably.

Neji's eye twitched and his mouth turned down into a scowl as he stared at the laughing shinobi. "What exactly do you find so funny?" he asked in an annoyed tone, though he knew what it was already and only hoped he was wrong.

Within a second, Naruto had bounded over to them and stood between the two higher ranked ninja, draping an arm over each of their shoulders. "Eeeeh~ did I interrupt something over here, huh? Huh?" he drawled suggestively, nudging them in the sides.

"Like what exactly?" Shikamaru said dismissively, but his tomato red face gave him away completely.

"Oh come on, I'm not that stupid," Naruto said and the other two sweat dropped but he ignored it. "I know a guilty couple when I see them – all thanks to the old pervert. Come on, you can tell me! You two were smooching before I came, right? Hehe, just admit it~ smoochy-smoochy…" He made kissy faces at them, poking their red cheeks, all the while ignorant to their growing anger. Like mentioned before, he could be observant when he _wanted _to be. He's already had his moment.

A yell of pain was shortly heard as the number one unpredictable ninja was sent flying into a tree by two fists slamming into him simultaneously. Shikamaru and Neji both dusted off their hand with satisfied smirks as they walked away from the crying and sulking blond. "We have no idea what you're talking about," both said innocently as they left him behind. However, when they were sure he couldn't see them, Neji leaned over to place a lingering peck on the corner of Shikamaru's smirking mouth.

"I'll give you that kiss some other time," he whispered against the other's cheek.

Shikamaru felt his stomach erupt in a swarm of butterflies as he turned his head and caught Neji's retreating lips in a quick kiss of his own before replying, "Can't wait."

* * *

**A/N: ***waves fist at screen* Damn you, Naruto! Way to ruin a good moment… Haha, nah I still love the knucklehead XP Anywho, hope this chapter was worth everyone's time and that Neji and Shika weren't _too _OOC. I love them! I've already written one or two more ShikaNeji chapters, ehehe I couldn't help it. But there will be other pairings in between though.

I hope I get as great a response or hopefully better than I did with the first chapter, so please review; I'll give you a cookie if you do~ And remember requests/suggestions are always welcome! =D


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